Nagaland Govt needs to establish mechanisms to address landslide hazards

Our Correspondent
Kohima | April 20  

Nagaland State Government should establish necessary techno-legal and techno-financial mechanisms to address the problem of landslide hazards in the state, a Report of Terrain Stability Study of Kohima Town brought out by Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) has suggested.  

“This is to ensure that all stakeholders like builders, architects, engineers and government departments responsible for regulation and enforcement adopt land use safe practices and provide safety norms as far as slope stability is concerned in landslide affected areas in particular and hilly areas in general,” the report said.    

The state government in consultation with the local bodies should prepare Master Town Plan and Country Planning for individual urban centers/large villages and come up with building regulations/bye-laws to provide mandatory techno-legal framework for regulating building activity from planning, design and collection of the construction.  

The report also accentuated on the need to establish systematic land use zoning for public utilities; life line structures, public and government institutions, residential areas, green belt, play ground, parks etc. This may also include preparation of master plan for drainage and sewage network system.  

Comprehensive and user-friendly landslide inventory database, landslide hazard map and seismic landslide hazard zonation maps for a holistic approach in town and country planning should also be prepared, the report said.  

It also suggested that the Nagaland State government initiate a ‘Landslide Control Board of Nagaland’ for taking up risk treatment, monitoring, awareness and preparation, capacity development and research and development.  

Pointing out that Kohima is geologically unstable and has high vulnerability to hazards like landslide and earthquake, the report suggested that mandatory feasibility site report on soil and geotechnical investigation should be submitted to the competent issuing authority for obtaining building permit,” adding that this report should be provided by a competent geotechnical engineer or engineering geologist.  

The report also stated that since Kohima is geologically unstable, it should strictly follow in accordance with the BIS building codes and other Himalayan state building codes.